PoDcasT Preparation: The Final Stages

Contemporary Design Culture: Week 10

Now that the debate has concluded it’s time to focus on the PoDcasT. I met with my group through a video call and we broke down what was left to do for the podcast. Due to the nature of the quarantine it was decided that Leah and Gráinne would record the podcast as they were in the same household, Matthew would edit the audio and I would take care of writing up the finished script and create the cover photo for the podcast. The meeting was very helpful for gauging where we were at in the project and what was left to do. I find group meetings to be a great way to resolve issues quickly and effectively, it’s amazing how much can be sorted in a 5 minute conversation than in a full chain of emails. Communication is vital in our industry and something I find myself always improving at.

Once the audio is finalised, I’ll be able to construct a written script around it. The goal of the script is to outline the plot of the podcast and ensure all main points are understandable and highlighted clearly. The script also allows us to review the final take and ensure everything is relevant and to the point. Having a concise script also makes it easier to go back and quickly skim through the podcast if we’re trying to pull out information for blog posts or future projects, portfolios rather than have to listen to the whole ten minute podcast for a single piece of information.

Designing the cover art for the podcast was really enjoyable and creatively beneficial for me. It gave me the opportunity to exercise my Photoshop and creative skills. I started by looking at the main selling point of the podcast, being the interactions between pacific cargo cults and the American soldiers of WWII. These undeveloped islands believed the Americans to be gods and worshiped them by performing rituals, praying for their return. They would even regard a humble coke can washing ashore as a gift from the gods. I began the design process by brainstorming a few concepts before settling on two possibilities. One would focus on the Americans being revered as religious icons. The other an attention-grabbing design commenting on materialism and what history would look like if the roles were reversed and we were in the Melanesian’s position. Using Google Images as a resource I began photo-shopping my designs and refining them until I was happy with the final output. In the end I couldn’t decide which image was a better fit so I decided to leave it up to the group to decide which they prefer. The chosen art work can be seen in the PoDcasT 1940s-1950s. Below are my two cover art possibilities, feel free to comment your preferred design or any constructive criticisms.